It Started with a Mission
by Catrina
Summary: How could everything change in just one day, just another mission?  After one day everything takes a different meaning and the people you thought you knew you didn't know at all.  Takes placed after Freak Nation MaxAlec
1. Chapter 1

It Started with a Mission

By Catrina

A/N: This is my first Dark Angel fic and I am just now starting to venture my writing out of the Anime realm. So please everyone let me know what you think. Also, while this chapter doesn't show it as much, this will be a Max Alec story, it just needs to work it's way there…

For those who have never read my work before, I don't really have a beta- so I take credit for all the errors in my fic.

THESE CHARACTERS ARE NOT MINE!

00-00-00-00

They knew it was a trap. There was no way that it couldn't be a trap.

It was the six month anniversary of the Jam Pony accident and White was still after them all. But the man was smart…he knew how to lure two transgenics into his evil clutches. He caught two of their own on their way into TC.

An X5 by the name of Rose and an X6 by the name Amaya had contacted Eyes Only and he sent them to Luke. And once Rose and Amaya hit Seattle White had them cornered. Of course they made a show out of it, so that Alec and Max knew that they had Rose and Amaya and well now it was down to this.

"This is stupid, one day White will kill you both and I'll have to run TC." Mole spoke around his cigar letting his opinion on the topic known. He received a glare from Max, but Alec just smiled and hit him on the shoulder.

"You know you can't wait. Finally able to run the place like you want." Alec voice was light and sarcastic but both Max and Alec knew that if push came to shove that is what would happen.

"We know that it's a trap, your concern is noted. But we are big kids… we can take care of our selves." Max stated as she finished looking over the map and the plans. She stood up brown eyes meeting Mole as she spoke. "We will make it out fine. Last time there were only 4 Familiars there."

"Yeah…only 4 total, piece of cake for the two of us." Alec piped in again sarcastically. Ten super-breed fighters was just what Alec wanted to have on his agenda for tonight, especially when he could be home, watching DVDs or music videos. Why not? But it was something that he had gotten used to. The first couple months of living in TC had been strained and though most people saw Max as their leader, she depended on him a lot for his connections. Through necessity he had become her SIC, but now it was a job title he was more the proud to have. While he had relished the original freedom that he had gained when he first left Manticore, now he appreciated the structure that they had set up here. And he knew that he wasn't the only transgenic living here that thought so. After all, after so long of being a soldier…it just didn't go away over night.

"Hey Luke!" Pull up their barcodes again for me." Alec asked climbing the stairs to the computer where Luke often sat keeping watch. About three months ago, when Max had learned that Alec was pretty good at hacking, they went to the old Manticore base. Luckily the site was being treated as a VA even though everyone knew differently, they had found a computer and with Luke, Alec, and Logan, they had got the files open. They now knew every transgenic ever made by Manticore, and their files, though no one really delved to deep into those.

But the files allowed for them to know when a genuine transgenic was calling for help. Alec looked one more time at the bar codes and then clapped the man on the shoulder.

"If you are done with your procrastinating, can we go now?" Alec looked over to the leader of TC. She glared at him, brown eyes burning, and mouth set in a tense line. Come to notice her whole body was tense, her shoulders straight, and even though she had a hip jutted out to the side and a hand placed and that him, he could tell that she was nervous.

"You just can't wait to ride off into the night with me." Alec stated a smirk gracing his features, making his eyes sparkle.

"Come on smart ass, we don't have all day…"

"Night." Alec retorted coming down the stairs to walk out the building with her.

"Whatever." Was her reply with a slap to the back of his head.

"Hey…I didn't deserve that."

"You're you…of course you did." But she smiled a little and that made it worth it.

They walked to the building that had been converted to a garage. Inside were almost all the vehicles that were inside the TC boundaries. The garage linked to an old subway tunnel, and then they had built an exit for it, creating their own secret bat cave. It worked but it was also well guarded but X5s. TC population continued to grow and grow and even Alec had been surprised by how many transgenics had been created.

The walk was silent as was the trip through the tunnels. The two of them drove on separate bikes and if the plan went smooth they would each have a partner riding back with them. They stopped about half a mile south of the warehouse that Eyes Only had found and covered the bikes.

Max was surprised that when she looked at Alec they could actually have a conversation with out saying anything. She had never really met anyone that she could do that with before. After she had come clean about Ben, it was like a new door had opened between them. While they still loved to fight and bicker, it wasn't nearly as hurtful as before, and while Alec still told her to tell Logan the truth, the cyber journalist still thought the two of them were involved.

But in Max's eyes it was for the best, and since then Alec had made a point to do as little as possible with Logan. Not that she minded, she did feel bad for making Alec into a bad guy, but everyone in TC knew the truth about Alec and she thought that was much more important.

She looked at Alec and saw him raise his eye brow, a question in those hazel eyes.

_You ready?_

She raised her shoulders and nodded before raising both of her eyebrows at him asking the question right back.

He nodded and the started the trek though the ware house district. It didn't take them long to figure out which one. It was. Alec turned a startled look back to her.

"There is a lot more then 4 here now." He whispered and if it wasn't for her transgenic hearing she wouldn't have had any idea what he had said.

"One at a time." She stated, trying to keep calm but realizing that White was indeed very ready for them.

He rolled his eyes and she watched as he literally melted into the shadows and she did the same.

Max walked slow towards the building doing just what Alec had done, and melt into the shadows. And when she actually ran into the first person, she was surprised when it wasn't a familiar.

It looks like there were special agents here as well.

That made things easier. It was easy just to throw a punch and have him crumbling at her feet. She knew that it wouldn't be the same when she ran into her first familiar. She stashed the body behind some crates and proceeded on cat's feet to the next man. Coming up behind him, she wrapped an arm around his neck and pulled him back using her other hand to cover his mouth. She counted 8 seconds and his body went slack. He was stashed as well and she moved on, hitting the entrance. There was one guard there, but the other had the feel of something else.

She knew that this would not be easy…but... looking down at the clock she saw that 15 minutes had already progressed…that meant…

She didn't even have time to finish the thought process before the explosion rocked the building. She heard the distance sound of glass shattering and she could see the dust rising in the building.

The guard and familiar exchanged looks and the familiar nodded, the guard ran heading towards the back of the building.

Damn, she wished that it would have been the other way around. Knowing now that there wasn't much more that she could do, she simply walked up to the front door.

"Is the password pretty please?" She asked, the false sweetness in her voice almost giving her cavities.

"Not for you, 452." Once she got a better look at him, she realized that this would be a nice little battle. His eyes were a cold blue, like White's but his hair was blond, he was at least 6 foot and the way he looked at her made her want to claw his eyes out.

He drew the gun from his side holster and fired. She blurred moving out of the way and forward grabbing the gun, she pulled from his grasp while stabbing the heel of her show into his knee cap. His grip barely faulted but enough for her to grab the gun and pull the clip out, throwing it one direction and pulled back the hammer to release the bullet from the chamber. Then she threw the gun behind her.

"I don't like guns."

"To bad, that was the only chance you had to kill me." His fist flew up in an upper cut catching her in stomach but Max pulled away before he could grab her head. She struck out with a punch, aiming for his face and missed, but he let down his guard when he blocked it and she got a quick punching into his stomach hoping to hit where his kidney was. He gasped a little as he slumped over and she raised her leg bringing an ax kick down onto his back. Falling to the ground she quickly placed her knee on his spine and pushed down while placing and arm around his neck. She could feel him trying to hold his breath so she pushed harder with her knee, causing him to gasp enough that the headlock forced him into unconsciousness.

Max stood up and dusted off her clothes and looked down at him.

"I'm a little disappointed." She stated looking down at him frowning, but moved forward heading into the warehouse.

00-00-00-00

Alec only ran into one person before setting the explosive, and he was taken care of quickly enough, but when he saw all the people flooding out of the building he knew that there still had to be more inside. Max was going in the north entrance, he set the explosive at the south entrance and now he was climbing up the west wall to get to the second story window. He pushed open the window and climbed in the small space. Falling into the office he stood stealthy and moved to the door.

"The prisoners are still on the first level."

"Get them ready for transport. They did their duty getting those two here, but if the escape there will be hell to pay."

"Yes sir."

Alec absorbed the information, knowing that his time was limited. Waiting until the voices had completely faded; he slowly opened the door. He moved into the hall and headed toward where he knew the stairs to be. He stopped when he felt a gun to his back.

"Turn around nice and slow." The voice was young, he could tell, and the shake in the voice meant that whoever this person was had never been in a position like this before. Not like Alec had… for a while, he had been in this position almost daily. Alec started the turn, but within the motion he grabbed the barrel of the gun and brought gun down on the kid's temple.

"Sorry kid." The boy couldn't have been more the 20. He picked the kid up and hid him in the office. He couldn't just leave a trail of bodies now could he?

He moved on again and proceeded down the stairs and to the east. It didn't take long to find the cell and when he did he was surprised that the two transgenics were still inside. He walked onto the outer chamber of the cell then proceeded to the cell. The X5 looked up. Her long blond hair fell in dirty chunks around her face, and large brown eyes looked at him surprised.

"494?" She asked in a whisper.

"I go by Alec now." After saying that he held a finger to his lips and motioned for silence, using the hand signals that they had all learned he told her the plan. She shook her head, commutating that they were getting ready to be transported.

Behind him, Alec heard gun fire and when he looked back, Max was rounding the corner at a dead run. She stopped for a moment to slam the out cell door shut, and the sound of gunfire hitting the door was a loud unwelcoming sound in the room.

"Plan B." She stated coming to a halt in front of him. He nodded and looked at the two transgenics.

"Come closer." He stated no longer worried about being detected with half an army on the other side of the door. Pulling the remote detonator out of his pocket he looked at the little girl.

"Amaya, cover your ears." Right after she did, he hit the button and the cell wall behind them blasted open. Max watched and covered her face as did the others.

"Run half a mile south, there are two bikes under a tarp. You take the green one." Max completely ignored the glare that Alec sent her. "Take the bike, there are directions to TC under the seat. Follow them." Rose's eyes communicated her gratitude as she grabbed Amaya's hand and ran through the hole in the wall. They heard the sound of flesh hitting flesh and then the sound of running footsteps; at least they were in the clear.

"We never really discussed plan B." Alec stated looking over to Max as she watched the door receive dent after dent. She wasn't sure what they were using as a battering ram, but it was doing a good job.

"Pick the lock to the cell; we'll leave the same way that they did."

"Oh I don't think so." Max and Alec turned as a unit and saw that a red-headed familiar and a small army of men stood there as well.

Finally the other door gave way and there stood White in all his self issued glory.

"Well, 452 and 494 it is nice to see both of you again. Please come this way." With guns in front and guns in the back, they looked at each other.

"Shit." Alec groaned and Max couldn't agree more.

00-00-00-00

They were both handcuffed behind their backs and stood each with a gun to their back. Orders were being issued around them, but still White felt the need to gloat.

"Did you really think that you would never get caught?" He asked looking from one to the other.

"Well it wasn't in the plan." Alec replied and caught a back hand across the cheek; he tasted blood in his mouth.

"You didn't plan very well then did you? But how could you really, filthy lab rats…that's all you are, you don't even deserve the air you breath."

"We deserve it more then you." Max replied back, the handcuffs digging into her wrist as she tried to slip her wrist through the cuff. But there was no way. She couldn't get loose. Looking over to Alec she knew that he had the same problem.

"Sir, the other two got away."

"No!" Both Max and Alec were surprised by the force of the yell. "Go and find them, this is unacceptable. Check the highway north and south. They wouldn't have headed into the ocean." The number of people in the warehouse went down as he barked out those orders. "Get the transport vehicle ready. I want these two out with in 10 minutes." White's phone rang and he glared at both Max and Alec before turning his back on them to take the call.

Two men by the door.

White on the phone.

Two men with guns pointed at each of their backs.

One Familiar leading the search north and one was going south. The other Familiar was still out cold. That left only one. Max looked over to Alec and saw that he was indeed doing the same thing she was. When he finished his tally, his eyes met hers. He nodded and the corner of her mouth twitched and then chaos started.

Both jumped up, their limber bodies allowing them to jump over their cuffed wrist. Max turned quickly aiming a crescent kick at his head then turning and landing a side kick in his stomach. But that had been unnecessary, he was already out cold.

Alec turned and grabbed the gun and using the trick from before brought it down on the man's temple. He looked over to Max and she held her hands above her head. Knowing what she wanted, Alec took aim and shot the chain, unbinding her. He patted down the guard and found the keys to the cuffs and freed himself.

While Max went after White, Alec blurred ahead, taking the two guards down by the door. One actually seemed to be a decent fighter, after putting the first one down again using the butt of the gun why mess with perfection anyway? The second drew a knife with a serrated edge and smiled at Alec, it was not a comforting smile. Alec put the gun in the back of his pants knowing it would do no good in this battle. The two parried back and forth, the man striking forward with the blade, while Alec moved avoiding him. The man caught him once across the chest and again across his left arm. Alec gauged his opponent noticing when he started to get frustrated. The man rushed forward to stab at him and Alec moved quickly but not quite quickly enough. He caught the man's wrist and but got a nasty gash on the palm of his left hand.

_There is no pain._

He tightened his grip on the man's wrist and felt the bone crush in his hand. The man's mouth opened in a silent scream and Alec to the opportunity to punch his face, from the blood the splattered Alec assumed that he broke his nose.

Alec was looking around for Max when he head gun fire he turned his sensitive ears finding the source of the sound. His eyes caught a glimpse of the sniper he had had missed on his count. He had aimed for Max, but she had blurred forward and was already exchanging blows with White. She was an open target like that fighting with White, so he grabbed the gun out of the waist band of his pants, took aim, and fired. Max may be pissed that he killed someone, but at least she was alive. A red blossom bloomed on the man's chest and he went down. With the gun fire though he had drawn attention he really didn't want to have. His hazel eyes jumping back and forth, he watched as the men started coming back. He started to take them out, one by one.

"Max!"

There was one thing that Max always hated when fighting White. The man was smart and he knew it. He studied her, he knew her moves, almost how she though, and she knew that he had something up his sleeve. He always did. Max hated how when she hit him he barely even 'umped' in pain.

His face…

His arrogance…

His conceit for her and her kind…

Plainly…White pissed her off.

Every punch he threw she blocked, and each punch she threw was blocked. Her knew came up aiming for his stomach but he blocked with his thigh. He pivoted, spinning a kick but she ducked and she came up with a punch but he was ready, catching her fist and punching her stomach.

With the one blow she was knocked back, but she was distracted when she heard the gun fire and a bullet barely missed her head. It was so close that it moved her hair, the feeling of that bullet sent chills down her spin.

She heard Alec call for her and she looked over to see that all the other men had been taken down and it was only her and White. Alec had his gun trained on White and the man held up his hands taking a step back in submission.

Max tilted her head, to where she had her bike stashed. Alec nodded and she walked slowly backwards towards the exit, while Alec followed her walking back keeping his gun trained on White.

"This isn't over." White stated looking at them both; looking way to superior for just losing, or what they thought was losing.

"No, it's not." Max agreed looking back. One day, she hoped that the opportunity would arise where she could actually kill White. The man was pure evil…him and his damn cult; she would see them go down.

The sound of the gunshot surprised her as much as it did Alec. The Familiar that she had first knocked unconscious had come to and dragged himself into the fight. He was holding a gun aimed at them, ready to shoot again. For a minute she thought that he had missed, but she noticed Alec bringing up the hand that was holding the gun.

It took Max a second to realize that Alec had been shot. She watched as the blood darkened the left shoulder of his black shirt. He looked down and pressed down on the wound, then to his back. The bullet hadn't come out. Alec was starting to think that he had some pretty shitty karma.

And whoever said that lightning didn't strike twice… _liar._

He had been shot in the same damn shoulder three times now.

He looked over to Max not wanting to waste time, this was going to be a rough escape. "I'm fine." He stated though it came out more as a grunt.

Max took his lead and started to run, followed by Alec. She paced herself to the reassuring sounds of his footsteps and she knew that if those footsteps stopped there was no way she was getting both of them out of here alive. She heard him fire and fire and she counted, and then heard a click when he was out of ammo.

"Son of a bitch." She ignored the curse, but when the she heard the next gun shot, she stopped in her tracks.

It was a strange feeling, to actually feel metal tearing though your skin, to feel it moving though your body and then pushing out. Before she even had time to realize that she had been shot that she was bleeding, she was in Alec's arms and he was blurring so fast she couldn't focus on anything around her. He had an arm under her knees and one around her back and as she looked over her shoulder she could see that he was leaving them in the dust. She raised her arms and placed them limply over his shoulders. She could feel his wound and the blood that was soaking his clothes and now her clothes as well.

"Max?" She tried to speak but nothing came out.

"Max? Come on…remember. There is no pain, there is no pain, there is no pain." He repeated the mantra to her until she was repeating it in her head. She had a feeling that it was the only thing that was really keeping him going.

"There is no pain…" It barely came out as a whimper but it gave Alec what he needed… that she was still with him.

He got to the Ninja and sat Max down on the seat. He placed a hand over her wound and grimaced when he realized that it was the hand that had been sliced open. He really had focused his mind to go past the pain. It was different with Max thought, her wound was much more brutal compared to the three or four that he had.

"Max… I need the keys." He lifted both hands to her face, not caring that she would be covered in his blood, from his hand wound. She looked him in the eye and then looked down at her left pocket. He reached inside grabbed the keys. She was starting to lose consciousness, he could tell. "There is no pain." He repeated to her. That saying had been what had got him through months of Py Ops, and any other time he had been shot, stabbed, or beaten.

"…no pain…" Knowing that she wouldn't be able to hold on to him, he placed her in front of him on the bike facing him, and when he straddled the bike he felt her arms come around him and he hoped to God that she was holding on for dear life.

00-00-00-00

"Shouldn't they be back by now?" Once in a while Logan was allowed into TC and when Max was on a dangerous mission that is usually when he would want to come.

"Rose and Amaya just got in 30 minutes ago, we'll know as soon as the Ninja kicks on that they are okay."

There was a flicker on the screen and the tracking device on the Ninja beeped, showing that indeed the engine on the bike had been started. Luke watched on the monitor as the Ninja made progress. Watching it he knew something was wrong.

"Get the hospital ready and call the doc."

"What!?" Mole asked jumping up, the Ninja was on its way back everything is fine.

"Whoever is driving that thing is driving like a mad man, at least 90 miles an hour… that tells me something is wrong."

As though to confirm that, the link to comm. device came up. With White's technology they had decided against using them during the actual mission, just like the idea of going in with backup, but now was a different story.

"Ninja to HQ." Alec's voice cut up the static that cut through the line.

"HQ go ahead." Mole answered back glad that Alec was on the other line.

"I'm coming and I'm coming in fast. Max, shot in the stomach loosing blood, I'm taking her straight to Med Bay."

"Is she okay?" Logan asked frantically, overhearing the message.

"I repeat, she has lost a lot of blood, and is going into shock." Watching the progress on the satellite feed he was only minutes away.

"Go head, we'll meet you there." Mole rushed before tuning away and heading for the hospital, the worried cyber journalist on his heels.

00-00-00-00

Alec had never been so glad for adrenaline in his life. The Ninja was spiking at speeds of 100 miles per hour and he weaved through traffic, and before he knew it was in the subway leading back to the garage. The lights in the tunnel passed so fast that they looked like a blurred line and he noted that it wasn't good that white was dancing along his vision as well. Max was barely holding onto him and she was shivering and her breathing was beginning to border on hyperventilating, he knew she was going to go into shock. The garage appeared before him but he barely slowed down, and before he knew it he was racing thought the streets of TC. It was late, 4:00 in the morning, but a few people were out and about.

They all got out of his way.

He skidded to a halt in front of the med bay, and picked Max up walking in. Seeing that the doc was there, he took her to where she motioned and put her on the bed.

"Just a gun shot wound, to the stomach, lost a lot of blood, going into shock. She needs help. I got here as fast as I could." Alec's words weren't coming out as well as he would have liked but the doctor nodded in understanding.

"You did good Alec." The doc nodded her blue eyes were understanding knowing that he was most likely worried. But she needed to focus on Max, TC couldn't loose her, she was too vital too their cause. She was their cause.

The door opened behind Alec and he turned to see two more people come in. He knew that they were the doc's assistants but he couldn't remember their names, hell, he was having a hard time even focusing on them right now. Alec was pushed out of the door as the two doc's assistants rushed in to help with Max.

He turned as the door to the building opened and was not surprised to see that Logan was standing right beside Mole.

It was then that Alec realized how dizzy he was. The edge of the world was fading to black and he barely registered Logan coming forward and grabbing him by the shirt.

The shirt that was covered in Max's blood.

"You were supposed to protect her. What were you doing? Where were you?" Logan yelled. Alec lifted a hand, incidentally his cut hand and put in on Logan's chest, he frowned as the pain went up his arm. He had forgotten about that wound again and his arm…the same arm was cut… he had absolutely no power to push him away.

"Alec?" It was Mole that voiced the question, as he noticed the blood on the floor. There was blood dripping from his chest, from his arm and from his palm. It was then that Mole noticed the hole in his shirt. "You were shot. I need some help here." The last part was stated loudly, drawing attention.

Alec focused in on Logan, who looked a little pale, and he grabbed his shoulders trying to stay standing.

"The bullet…didn't come out…cut…" and the adrenalin finally ran out, Alec collapsed to the floor.

00-00-00-00

A/N: I've never written action before… How did I do?

Thanks for reading,

Cat


	2. Chapter 2

It Started with a Mission

Chapter Two

By Catrina

A/N: Working towards that Alec/Max relationship. Please note that these characters are not mine. I just steal them for a while to create havoc in their lives.

00-00-00-00

The light was the first thing she noticed. While it wasn't bright she wanted to keep her eyes closed. Memories flashed through her head and she remembered everything.

With that her eyes snapped open.

"Alec." The doctor turned her way, blue eyes calm and placed steady hands on her shoulders and kept her down.

"He's fine, right next to you." Max looked to her right and saw that he was there hooked up to the same type of machine that she was. "Actually I thought that he would wake up before you. I had to tanq him when he woke up while I was cutting out the bullet. Then there was the wound on his arm, hand, and chest. You both went through the ringer. How do you feel Max?"

"Tired." She relaxed into the bed and smiled at the doc. "Have you seen Rose and Amaya?"

"Yeah, they're in and registered, they appreciate your help. They came and visited while you both were out." Max looked over and noticed that Alec's hand moved slightly. It was comforting to see that he was still alive.

"Listen Max. I only have two rooms in the hospital; it's why Alec's in here." Max thought trying to decipher the words.

"Who's in the other?" She asked and braced herself for something bad.

"Logan."

"Logan!" She exclaimed, surprised. He had been fine they talked before she went out on the mission.

"He attacked Alec."

"What? Alec put him in the hospital?" That didn't ring right. She knew that by the time that he got her here and into the arms of the doc, his adrenalin levels would start dropping back to normal, and with his injuries there was no way that he could have been able to do a lot of damage.

"No, he started yelling at Alec, and grabbed his shirt. Some how the virus you carried got into Alec's blood. At some point in time, your blood must have gotten into his blood stream. His clothes were covered on blood, and that blood made contact with Logan's skin. We gave him transgenic blood and he's awake and doing well… but I wanted to tell you."

"Oh, thanks." She really didn't know what to say to that. Both Alec and Logan were fine, that was really all that seemed to matter right now. But at least Logan was awake. The doctor smiled at her.

"I know that you have shark DNA, but please try to get some rest."

"Okay."

"Good, now I will be in and out, if you need anything yell."

"Thanks, Alyssa."

"Not a problem."

She was Alec's type, blond, petite, pretty, and those two when together flirted like crazy. He had been the one to help her set up the hospital. He had gone out on mission, after mission securing all the medical supplies. Alyssa had gotten everything that she needed to run a hospital and when a couple of the missions went they had camped out in the hospital waiting for news. This was the first time that both she and Alec had ever had to use the hospital and now she was glad that Alec and Alyssa had thought of this.

Max turned her brown eyes on Alec studying the steady rise and fall of his chest. With in the last few months they had been through so much together. If someone would have told her that starting a Freak Nation with Alec was what she was going to be doing in the future she would have laughed.

But here they were, and while they fought just as much it wasn't over stupid shit anymore. Well it was but it was that they knew that they weren't always serious.

She wanted him to move again.

Just his hand, she needed to make sure that he was okay.

She could remember the bullet racing through her skin, her body, and she remembered him lifting her, running with her. The moment that he had touched her, she knew that it was safe and that it was okay. Not just that, but she had let herself fall unconscious, unguarded around him. That alone stated that their relationship at least in her eyes had grown leaps and bounds.

While she couldn't sleep she did take the doctors orders and rest. She kept her eyes focused on Alec however waiting for him to wake.

When it took almost an hour she realized that they must have used a heave tranquilizer on him.

His eyes fluttered open, then closed then snapped open as he sat up groaning with the pain. The white sheet that had covered him dropped to his waist revealing his bandages. X5's she realized didn't deal well with being in the hospital. He did the exact same thing she had done.

"Alec." She said his name softly but knew his sharp ears would pick it up. His head turned quickly toward her, "Hey." She saw him relax, his shoulders relaxed and he ran a hand though his hair.

"Hey. How ya feeling?" His voice was rough and still a little tired.

"Good for the most part. You?" She asked taking inventory. There was a patch on his shoulder, where he had been shot, there were neat stitches across his chest and along his left arm, and then his left hand was completely bandages.

"I feel like I got in a fight and lost." He whined as he tried to lower himself back onto the bed, "Have you talked to Mole?" His mind resorted back to business, "Do we know about Rose and Amaya?"

"No and yes. Haven't seen Mole, and the girls are fine." She looked away from him for a second then turned back, "What happened with Logan?" She asked. She had learned that if you were direct with Alec he was usually direct back.

"Don't really remember. I went back into the hall. He and Mole were there, and then he came and grabbed me… all like 'You were supposed to protect her. What were you doing? Where were you?' and all that bullshit, like I wasn't bleeding all over, and hadn't already got you to the doc… did he care about that. Noooooo, all he cared about was that you got hurt… It's not like I wasn't hurt, not like I hadn't taken care of you…"

"Alec, shut up." Alec snapped his mouth shut and looked over at her. Her face was serious, but her brown eyes held some humor in them. He was glad to see that she was okay, he had been worried when she had passed out. Her color was still pale, but she looked a lot better. He remembered carrying her into the hospital, she had been covered in blood, his and hers, and he remembered how hard it was to let her go, to let someone else care for her, and then to be pushed out into the hall.

"Has Logan been into see you?" Alec asked as he settled back into the bed and pulled the cover up past his waist, but left his shoulders and chest uncovered. With his healing the stitches would probably be taken out tomorrow before they were released from the hospital.

"Well, the doc mentioned something kinda funny. Something about Logan attacking you?" She looked over at him and he shrugged.

"He grabbed my clothes while he was yelling at him and then," Max watched as she though she saw a slight blush across Alec's freckles, "I passed out."

"Oh." She stated trying not to laugh. The man had been cut multiple times, and shot, and he was blushing because he passed out.

"Why?" Alec asked, "Did he say something…like, oh, sorry maybe?"

"No, not so much. When he grabbed you he forgot that you were all bloody cause a' me." His thought process caught up with him and he realized that Logan had been hit by the virus.

"Ah, well good thing for him he was in a transgenic hospital. If we keep giving him blood he may turn into one of us…no nix that thought, hate that thought… that thought is wrong and those words never came out of my mouth… Alyssa, how are you?" He finished with a bright flirtatious smile as the blond doctor came through the door.

"Alec… I am fine, and you are awake." She stated the obvious.

"And in all my glory." He stated and raised both arms, but the effect was ruined by the wince showing that he was still in pain, even though he pretended not to be.

"So say the guy who passed out in the hall." Alyssa smiled as she sat on the edge of the bed.

"Hey, I had a long day…I had to deal with Max and everything." He stated it like it was a bad thing.

"Hey!" Max stated insulted, "It was me who had to deal with you. Trust me, you may be easy on the eyes but you cause one hell of a head ache."

"Did you hear that?" He looked to the doctor with a raised eyebrow, "Max thinks I'm hot."

"You missed the last part." Max stated glaring at him; leave it to Alec to not get the point of what she had just said.

"It's called selective hearing. You have much better days when you use it." Alec told her, glancing her way.

"Yeah, then you go through life not knowing anything."

"It's called blissful ignorance. You should try it. Look how happy I am compared to you. You're all moody and depressing and angsty."

"I am not." She stated back but knew that it was partially true.

"Okay, stopping this argument. Have you told Alec about Logan."

"Yeah."

"Okay. I know that you both are weak, but I want to take more blood and keep you overnight."

"Well, I had already figured that I would be staying overnight, but Max too. Kinky Alyssa." Alec stated just to watch the blond blush…it was too easy.

"Moron." He heard come from the other side of the room.

"Excuse me?" He asked looking her way. She saw humor in those hazel eyes and for the first time, she realized that all his flirting with the doctor was nothing; he was doing it for fun. She had seen him flirt…really flirt, and his eyes were intense when they turned on his prey and under that gaze the woman usually did whatever he wanted them to. It came in really handy on missions. She unfortunately couldn't put up the same type of act.

"Take all the blood you need, Doc." Max stated and held out her arm and one of the assistants came in to take Alec's blood. Alyssa came over and sat down beside Max. "I released Logan. He's getting changed. He has been made aware that Alec is carrying the virus as well. So he shouldn't try to touch him. Have you slept at all?"

Max looked up at her and shook her head. "Damn shark DNA."

"I'm gonna give you a sedative, to get you to sleep though the night. It will help you heal, if you are awake and restless you will just aggravate the wound. Both of you will be mostly healed by tomorrow and I'll let you go tomorrow night. But really no missions for a while. You guys have other X5s and X6 trained. Let them do the work. Alec and Biggs helped to train them and they know how to fight. Are you okay with the sedative?"

"Sure, I've never slept a whole night before so it will be interesting to see how I feel in the morning."

"Hopefully less of a bitch." Alec stated looking over and happened to look dead serious before the corner of his bow mouth turned up in a smirk.

"I'll always be a bitch for you Alec."

"Thanks Max, its how I know you love me." The banter between them was familiar and Alyssa watched the two wondering if they were really both just stupid. She had never seen two people more fitted for each other then the two in front of her. They seemed to fit together like two pieces of a transgenic puzzle. She had known Alec was awake before she had even gotten into the room, but the reason she could tell was because Max was more relaxed, just by him being awake. Alyssa shook her head as she watched the two banter back and forth and then watched it stop completely as Logan walked into the room.

The human wasn't unattractive, but compared to Alec he was very ordinary. All the X5s were beautiful, but it was easy to say that Alec and Max by far took the prize. Alec with his dark blond hair, and hazel green eyes made every girl swoon, transgenic or human, and his lean but muscular medium build was more attractive then Logan's shaggy hair, blue eyes, and taller build. Plus the sounds of that damn exo-skeleton drove every transgenic crazy.

"Hey, Logan." Max started tensing up again. Alyssa injected the sedative into her IV drip.

"You should drop off within the next 15 to 20 minutes. Don't fight it." She whispered. And then she heard Logan speak over her.

"Hey yourself."

Alyssa walked over to Alec trying to ignore the tenseness in the air between the other two.

"Do you want a sedative or will you be able to sleep."

"I'll sleep." He didn't like the idea of being drugged. Max needed it she never slept, but he slept just fine.

"Okay, do you want to move to the other room?"

"No, I'm fine here."

"You don't have to watch over her. She is safe here." Alyssa said, and Alec raised shocked eyes to look at her, "I know you better then you think. You used to do the same thing for me."

"You were in my unit."

"And you were my CO."

"That was the way that it was supposed to be." Alec may have become more jovial and more of a jokester when Manticore burnt down, but he had always take care of his unit, before he was approved for solo missions. He leaned back and watched as she poked and prodded at his wounds.

"No infection, that's good." She got up and grabbed the vials of blood off to the side. "I'm going to go do some tests on your blood; I'll check on you though the night." They both nodded and she left.

Alec turned his attention back to Max and Logan.

"I'm glad to see that you are up." Logan stated standing to the side, but Alec could see that the man wanted to touch her, confirm that she was okay.

"Yeah, we heal fast." She said with a slight shrug of her shoulders. Alec saw the wince but he didn't think that Logan did.

"So what did the doctor give you?" Logan asked as he sat down like he was going to camp there for the night.

"A sedative, she wants me to sleep."

"Is it okay that I stay for the night?"

"No." Alec stated and they both turned to look at him. "You and your exo will keep both Max and I awake, and she needs to rest." He glared at the other man as Logan's jaw dropped.

"I don't think that's your decision."

"My hospital room, too." Alec pointed out and Logan looked back to Max.

"I think that it's best that you leave too. Alec's right, you would keep both of us awake just being here. We wouldn't be able to sleep with you here." She knew that she might with the drug that was loaded into her system, but she knew that Alec wouldn't just Logan's breathing would keep him awake; it would keep him on edge.

"Listen if this is about before…"

"What?" Max asked, "You mean when you accused Alec of not watching out for me. He is the only reason that I am alive right now."

"Yeah about that… sorry." He never even looked at Alec while he was talking.

"I don't think that you owe the apology to me." Max stated and she could feel her eyelids getting heavy. Logan turned toward Alec.

"…"

"Apology accepted, now will you please leave so that we can sleep?" Alec asked, not really wanting to put up with Logan. He knew the man hated him, he knew that Logan thought that no one could love Max as much as he did, and he knew that Logan resented the fact that Alec was an X5.

Logan glared at Alec but said nothing to him; he looked over at Max stating that he would be back tomorrow. Then left… again not saying or even looking over at Alec.

"Max, you are gonna have to tell him the truth." Alec looked over at her and noticed that she was already asleep. She looked so sweet when slumber took her over. The stress that she carried everyday left her face leaving it looking young and even though she was pale her skin glowed in the fading light in the room. He settled down and closed his eyes. He could hear her heart beat and he listened to it letting the rhythm lull him to sleep.

He slept well that night.

00-00-00-00

When Max woke the bed next to her was empty. She sat up in a panic and this time ignored the pain it caused in her midsection.

Had something happened?

Was Alec okay?

The med assistant ran in the room. "Are you okay?" It was a young, X6 she thought his name was Gabe.

"Where's Alec?" She asked breathless.

"He's fine; the doc took him down to the lab to draw more blood." Gabe stated his hazel eyes calming when he realized the reason for her distress. "Oh and a guy named Joshua came to visit while you were asleep, he said that he would be back later."

Alec chose that time to walk into the room, and while he was walking slowly, he seemed to look much better today.

"Hey Maxie. How was your night?" He asked and instead of going to his own bed he went to hers and perched himself on the side and pressed a hand to her forehead. "You look a lot better." Her skin felt cool, last time he had been touching her she had been clammy and shaking.

Her heart rate slowed and he watched the number decrease on the LCD monitor. "You okay?"

"Yeah, and I slept great." She shook off her thoughts, shaking her head trying to wrap her mind around the idea that she was worried because she woke and Alec wasn't in the room. It's not like they even live together.

"Hey, the doc found something strange in our blood work." He started feeling a little odd about what he was going to say.

"Why is everything okay?" She asked her brown eyes found his quick and he was soothed by how worried she was. She had never been worried for him before. It made him feel better since he seemed to worry about her all the time.

"Well, think back to the fight. When we got the bike, I put my hand on your stomach." He raised his left hand that had been cut; lucky while the cut had bled a lot it wasn't so deep that it hurt the motor functions. "Your blood got into my bloodstream and the virus that you carry, the one for Logan got into me. Well it's not in me anymore." He looked at her, trying to gauge her reaction and got nothing but confusion.

"You mean it was temporary?" She asked, his face was serious and she was lost, trying to understand what he was saying.

"I've never been sick, never had the flu, and never sneezed more then once." He stated hoping that this would help, that she would understand. But her next statement stated that she clearly was not getting the gist.

"I don't understand." Alec looked over to the door where Alyssa now stood.

"There is something in Alec's blood that killed the virus."

"Killed?"

"Yes, his body destroyed the virus or the version that got into his body when the two of you were wounded two days ago."

"That's why you wanted the blood yesterday." She stated it all falling into place. "You're the cure?" She asked him amazed.

"I don't know why I never thought of it. The virus was coded to your DNA, there was a chance that another transgenic would have the immune system that would defeat the virus. The meaning of this is, with Alec's help, I should be able to make a cure, or at least a vaccine if for some reason Logan touched you again. I mean the parts of you DNA are really interesting. They complement each other; I think it may have been why you were selected as breeding partners at Manticore. They may have been onto something." The two of them looked at each other then looked away again… that was just an odd thought.

Alec held the key to her touching another man. There was something that was strange about that. She was close to a cure, actually he was sitting right in front of her. She looked at him again and he looked guarded, a look that he only had around her when he didn't want her to know something. His eyes were empty and his Manticore mask was back in place.

"Alec, you'll do it right?" She asked though it came out more of an order then she intended.

"I'm the reason you don't have the cure now Max, I really don't have a choice." _It's my fault that you aren't happy. _He didn't feel the need to say that out loud.

When he had first gotten out of Manticore, he was a kid in a candy store. Everything was so new and bright and he had wanted to experience everything. He learned then got bored and moved on to something new. It was like he needed to go through each right of passage, he had to experience live with gusto. And while he had been doing that he had ruined Max's life, she was the reason he could call himself a decent human being right now.

It was ironic that he would be the person who got them back together and while he knew that he was going to do it, he also hated it. He didn't hate Logan or Max, but the idea of them together made him ill.

He would try to change her, try to make her _normal _unless of course he needed her X5 ability for an Eyes Only mission. He didn't value her for the amazing person that she was. He would use her, and then when he realized that he couldn't change the fact that she wasn't like him, he would come up with an excuse to start pushing her away, to make her feel that _she _ wasn't good enough for him, when in actuality she was too good for him.

She deserved someone who understood what it was like to be an X5.

Not only that but she needed someone who could at least match her passion for life and Logan was so boring it put him to sleep.

"Alec…Alec?" He was dragged out of his thoughts by Max calling out, when she saw the look in his eyes, she rolled her eyes, "Alec has now checked in again."

"Hey, I was just thinking."

"It was my choice." Max stated. She remembered on conversation that she and Logan had had about Alec once. Logan had said that he was a child, he had never been out in the world before, not like Max had.

When he had said that Max had tried to be understanding, but it was when she told him about Ben that she knew that he had changed. That he was growing up. When he had put his arm around her and kissed her hair, she knew that she was safe. She had never been able to tell Logan about that, because Logan wouldn't understand, not like Alec could.

Right now the thought of trying be with Logan made a cold fist close around her heart. It was just something that she didn't want.

"It was a choice that you shouldn't have had to make Max." He whispered softly looking into her eyes. "But on a good note…" She saw the smile come back, full wattage, that didn't quite reach his eyes, "The virus bitch is going down."

"Yeah, the virus bitch is going down." She repeated with a smile she knew didn't reach her eyes.

She watched as Alec got up off his bed and walked to the other bed to sit on it. Alyssa walked in all the way and made a motion with her hand and Alec and he took off his shirt. She watched avidly, for the first time appreciating the view. Alec was slender, but he was also all muscle. She watched as the muscles in his arms and chest moved, and she was jealous when Alyssa got to touch him, even though it was to take the stitches out.

His transgenic healing had proved helpful and there was already healing over the wound on his chest.

"You'll have to watch your arm, don't do anything strenuous today yet or it could tear open. Let me see your hand." He put out his hand and Max watched. He had long graceful hands, she had watched him play the piano, and he had hands that were made for it. She also knew that those hands could put together a gun in less then 10 seconds. When he was cleared, he stood and went to the bathroom to change. He came out in cargos and a black sweater.

"Mole went to my place on got some clothes, and I had Syl get you some clothes from your place."

"I want you to take it easy Max. I would prefer that you both go home."

"I don't want to see your ugly faces around command any time before tomorrow."

"Mole, my man." Alec turned and grinned looking at the transhuman clapping him on the shoulder. "How goes it?"

"Better if you were not touching me. Actually it would be better if you both hadn't gotten _shot _and made me do all your work so that you could be lazy."

"Damn, Maxie, he figured out our plan, guess we'll have to try something new next time." He looked over to Max with a smile and she smiled back with a false sweetness.

"I know, next time I'll break your arm."

"But Max, there is a flaw with that plan…then you still have to work."

"But it will be more pleasurable if you aren't around." Again she said it with the false smile. He placed on of those piano graceful hands across his heart, and for a second she was lost in those hazel green eyes of his.

"Max, I'm hurt." He turned to Mole, "Can I get a ride?"

"Don't know why you can't walk…" Mole mumbled but in his language that meant 'yes.'

"Max, Ninja's out front. Drive safe." She nodded dumbly and watched as he walked out with Mole.

"You okay?" Alyssa asked watching the interaction between the two. If she didn't know any better she would think that Max wasn't really interested in the cure.

"Yeah,"

"Max I need you to be straight to me. Do you want me to find the cure? Or would I be wasting my time?"

"I think so, I mean I don't want to kill him accidentally, but I don't think that my future is with him. TC is too important to me." Max slowly stood, and went to the window where Mole was firing up his 4-wheeler and Alec climbed on carefully. He would be fine for the three blocks to his apartment.

"I don't think so either." Alyssa agreed looking at Max. Maybe this mission was what they needed to get their heads on straight. Max was silent as she changed and then Alyssa gave Max the keys to the Ninja.

Blood, there was blood on the Ninja. She placed her hand on the left handle bar and realized that it was caked in Alec's blood. It was every where. There was no way she could ride it home, no way. Amazingly it was Rose that came to her rescue.

"Hi." Her long blond hair was clean now, and her brown eyes not so scared. She was a plain girl for an X5.

"Hi."

"I'm Rose."

"I know, I'm Max, I'm glad we got to you." She watched as Rose looked at her bike.

"Can I walk it back to the garage for you? I'll wash it for you." She looked up to Rose, surprised but grateful.

"No, I can…"

"Let me do it please, I want to thank you and 494 for coming to help me."

"He's Alec now." She snapped before she realized it, "Sorry…" She muttered dropping her head slightly. Rose grabbed the handle bars and kicked up the kickstand and started walking the bike. The garage was close to her place, and close to command. She lived in the same building as Alec, so it was a short walk.

"I know, our names mean something, but I see so many faces and I just knew them all as numbers. It's strange, like meeting them all over again."

"No, I understand." Max agreed and they walked quietly to the apartment.

"Is 494…Alec around, I would like to thank him sometime."

"Yeah, he lives here too." She saw a flash of disappointment in the other girl's eyes and knew what she was thinking.

"Okay, well, I'll drop by sometime, thanks again Max."

"Yeah," She watched the girl walk to the garage that she could see from here and park her bike.

Now Max was not known for really thinking things out; she was more of an action girl. But for some reason the last two days had turned her life upside-down. And it was Alec. She wasn't a fool, she had panicked when Alec was gone, she was sensitive to his moods, she wanted to see a real smile from him and she was worried about him.

She dropped to the stairs sitting down. Alec was a cure to the virus with Logan, but she had a feeling that she didn't really want Logan anymore, but with how she and Alec were there was no way that he would be interested in her.

He was her annoying SIC, not a man in love with her. And he had no reason, even though they were closer, she still had the tendency to treat him like dirt. The last two days had been rare.

But she hadn't corrected Rose because she wanted her to think they were together, and she was relieved when she noticed that the flirting with the doctor was done in a joking manner. She was even more relieved to find out the doc had been with the same X5 for 2 months, she wasn't even interested in Alec.

But Max was…

Max hung her head, her dark hair framing her face and her eyes closed realizing that she was an idiot…a real idiot.

"Max, you okay." She snapped her head up, surprised to see Alec behind her.

"Yeah," her voice was soft and by the tilt of his head she knew he didn't believe her.

"Come on, I'm the only one in this joint with a DVD player…we'll watch something with a happy ending." Alec extended a hand and she grabbed it, feeling warm.

"Okay." She didn't let go of his hand as he walked her to his place.

00-00-00-00

Thanks so much for all the review. This story got such a warm welcome that I couldn't wait to finish and post chapter two. Thanks for the support and thanks for reading.

See you in chapter three,

Cat


	3. Chapter 3

It Started with a Mission

Chapter 3

By Catrina

A/N: This is my first Dark Angel fic and I am just now starting to venture my writing out of the anime realm (which I have been in comfortably for the last two years). So please everyone let me know what you think. As a reminder- I do not have a beta so I claim all the errors in here as my own. Please enjoy…

00-00-00-00

Max placed a hand on her stomach as a sharp pain echoed where she had been shot. It had been two days, and the pain wasn't completely gone yet, but she was now at least back at work. After their day of rest, both Max and Alec had decided that Mole had had enough. The man just was not good at dealing with people. So her and Alec had jumped right back in and gotten back to work, though they were still respecting the doctor's idea of light duty. Most of what they were doing was reports, planning, and analysis. It worked for them. They kept busy and kept out of trouble and that seemed to work for both of them.

It was just now after 8:00 and the sky was turning dark. Alec had left almost an hour ago to head home, or so he said, as he was on the phone walking out of command. But this report was scaring her. Within the week TC would be out of food and that just wasn't cool. Jack was the X-5 that ran the kitchen. Much like Gem she had been pregnant when she arrived in TC. After Alyssa had delivered her baby she got stir crazy and Gem watched her little boy while she ran the kitchens. The woman was a report and statistic Nazi, she could tell you how much food she goes to in a day down to the hour and while she tried to control how much went out, she wasn't going to try and deny any transgenic or transmutant food. Many of them had been starving for the first few weeks after Manticore had be set a flame, and Jack refused to do that to anyone. But Jack being good with numbers had a down fall, Max always saw the reality of the food situation and it scared her.

Jack had come in right around noon and looked at Max and Alec. The girl was tall and slender with brown hair and brown eyes, she was also the bluntest person that Max had ever met, and that was saying a lot.

"We have a problem." She had stated, "I'm running out of food." Max had been trying to work with the police, Clemens was a good man, but there was only so much that he could do. TC had money, Alec and Max had stolen so many items from 'bad' people that they could buy food, but no one would sell it to transgenics, that was the problem. After Jack had left Alec had looked at her and she had stared back, she wasn't sure where to start.

He had just looked at her and told her not to worry; he would take care of it. But looking at the numbers she had no idea how he could do that. Alec had worked hard for TC even if he didn't really want anyone to know that he really cared. She had learned that a long time ago, it was like he liked to be thanked but it embarrassed him at the same time. He did a lot for everyone and Max had made sure that no one got credit for it but Alec, he was the one that did the work so it made sense that he would be the one to get the credit, but he always seemed to try to make someone else the hero, whether it was her, Mole, or Joshua.

She just could not figure out Alec, granted she had learned a lot about him in the past months, but he was still confusing to her. That was how she explained why she though of him all the time, he was a puzzle and she hated not knowing what the answer to the puzzle was.

Luke peeked in, "Hey Max, Logan wants to talk to you." She looked up and nodded her non-verbal way of saying that she would be out in a minute. She didn't have a secure cell phone, so to be on the safe side, when they talked, they went through a secure video feed. And while she didn't talk to him every day, they had talked more since she and Alec had been wounded on their last mission. She rose out of the chair and figured this for his daily call in.

"Hey you." Max stated softly looking at the feed. There was static and the picture wasn't clear but she could tell that he looked serious as Logan had the tendency to do.

"Hey." He replied, a smile snaked across his lips before his face settled back to serious.

"What's up?" She asked popping her hip out and placing a fist on that hip. She smiled a little at him.

"Not a lot, you? How are you feeling?" He asked blue eyes looking over her form, trying to see if she was still injured.

"Good, transgenic healing and all. Gotta thank Manticore for something, right?"

"Yeah, I guess," He paused then looked straight at her, "Max, I need your help." He stated carefully, calmly.

"Everything okay?" She asked walking a little closer to the screen, even though it really didn't make a difference.

"Yeah…look, I found the software I need to get Eyes Only running again. I've tired to buy it, but they won't sell it to anyone with out a government contract. Once I get up Eyes Only, I'll be able to help you guys a lot more…" He kept talking but Max tuned him out. She wondered, really wondered if that was all that he really thought about. She knew that Logan had a hero complex…she did, but really she was shot three nights ago. And here he was asking for her help.

"Send me the info, I'll do it." And really she had never turned him down before what changes now?

"Great thanks, Max." The data and blue prints were sent over the connection and then they said their good-byes. She looked over everything and it seemed simple really. She looked over at Luke and Dix.

"Where's Alec?" She looked from one to the other.

"He's getting ready to take out the truck, got a food shipment to pick up." Luke told her.

"What?" She asked, they were both considered still on 'restricted' duty.

"He's going out to get the food…"

"What about the protocol?" She raised her voice at the two her anger evident. Since the transgenics had holed up in terminal city, the sector police monitored all their people by GPS, usually Logan came in and helped the others hack into the database and watch the police from afar.

"Protocol was followed," Dix turned the screen that he was looking at so Max could see it. There was a grid of the city with red dots for the sector police ad three green dots for Alec and the people he was getting ready to take in with him.

"Who did the hack?" She looked from one to the other as they looked at each other.

"Alec hacked in."

"What?" She asked

"Alec hacked in, it took him about 5 minutes, and he did it about 20 minutes ago." Dix told her right before turning back to look at the screen.

_He can do that? _She wasn't sure what exactly was going, sure he had helped to hack into the Manticore files, but it took Logan and the program he used two hours to get into the sector police systems, to have Alec do it in five minutes… impossible.

"I need to talk to him, can you get him on radio please?" Her voice was just a little calmer.

"Command to Bravo 1." There was static.

"Bravo 1… What's up?" Alec's voice was clear over the radio.

"What are you doing?" She didn't bother hiding her annoyance over the radio.

"I'm getting the food shipment; I've been working on it all day."

"What?"

"Maxie, you really need to start paying attention to people when they talk to you, you miss the most important part of the conversation."

"You said you were going home…."

"To change."

"But…"

"No choice Maxie, I'm just going along for the ride, I'm taking Dalton and Raven with me. I'm staying in the truck."

"Hang on, what's your location."

"Think Max--."

"Right, the garage, I'll be right there." She looked back at Luke and Dix and then thanked them before starting the short walk to the garage. There was no reason why she couldn't ride along, make sure it was all okay, and then stop by to snatch the stuff for Logan. She paused in front of the garage and looked down at her clothes, luckily black was the only thing in her wardrobe.

She pushed open the door and in seconds her eyes adjusted and she saw Dalton's blond hair and Raven standing slightly ahead talking with Alec. She stared a moment looking that he had indeed changed. He was now wearing black cargo pants and a black cable sweater. His skin looked pale with all the darkness around him, when he turned her way it was almost like his eyes were glowing green.

"Max."

"Alec." She mocked back.

"What do you want to tag along for? We got this covered."

"Yeah, well Logan called and I was looking for a ride. Rose is still working on my bike." They had found out that Rose had been a mechanic back at Manticore, she hadn't been great with missions, but she was great with machines and weapons, testament to that was the fact that both Max and Alec allowed her to work on their bikes.

"Oh, so the great Eyes Only needs his kinda-sorta girlfriend to steal something for him?" He ducked away from the slap aimed at his left side only to get hit on the right side instead. "So I was right…" He joked as he walked around the truck looking for anything that would draw attention to the truck. Dalton got in the back, and Raven in the front. Alec closed the door on Dalton and then turned back to Max.

"So where you hitting?" Alec asked.

"McIlick Technologies…"

"No you aren't." Alec looked at her and she was a little taken back by the seriousness in his gaze.

"What?"

"You can't hit McIlick."

"Okay, I'll bite. Why not?"

"Because McIlick is the only company that will sell us food, even if it is under the cover of night. If he finds out that a transgenic is stealing from one of his other companies we will have no one to supply TC with food."

"Then I won't get caught."

"So you are willing to risk the well-fare of TC, for Logan? You are going to potentially take away our source of food so what…he can start his computer hacks, because yeah, that will feed us." His voice was laid with sarcasm and as he spoke she put together what he was saying.

"But this is Logan. He helps us…" She told him, it was the first thought that went through her head and she was a little ashamed that she really didn't have a good reason for doing this, other then that Logan had asked.

"I don't care if it's God. It's putting our people at risk and you are supposed to be the leader." His voice had toned down as he came around to the passenger side of the vehicle. "You are not coming along…you are going to go call Logan and tell him that you can't steal it for him, and then you can tell him that we are not his personal army for his cause. We are fighting to survive when everyone would prefer to see us dead." He hopped up in the truck and closed the door. "I'll be back in a few hours."

She watched as they drove away. She was angry…actually she was way beyond angry, but she was more upset that he was right. She couldn't…wouldn't risk the relationship that Alec had with his buyers and sellers.

She would have to call Logan.

But still she was more then a little angry. He had gone behind her back, did the hack, and planned this all without letting her know. Or had she really been caught up in so many other things that she really hadn't noticed. She walked back to the command center and gave Dix a little smile.

"Connect me with Logan, please."

"Sure thing." His fingers flew across the board and before she knew it Logan's face was on the screen.

"Hey Logan."

"Max…"

"Problem Logan. The person you want me to steal it from is ironically the only person who is willing to sell transgenics food, I can't do the break in."

"Why not?" He sounded a little angry but it was hidden quickly under a questioning smile.

"You knew?" Max asked her suspicion already founded though.

"Well kinda…"

"Logan, if he found out that a transgenic stole his stuff he wouldn't sell us food anymore." Max pointed out to him, for some reason Alec's words had rang very true to her. Now she understood, now that she was having to defender her point.

Pissed her off that Alec was right though…

"I just thought that you would be careful."

"Can't risk it Logan. We're talking about my people here. I'll help you but you need to find another place…another way." She looked over at Dix and nodded, he disconnected them. She looked over to the man who looked like he had been manning the post all day.

"How long you been here, Dix?"

"14 hours and still going strong."

"I'll watch your post, I have that wonderful shark DNA. Besides I won't be able to rest until the food gets back."

"You sure?" Dix asked thankful but a little nervous at the same time.

"I took this course just like everyone else did. I can do the basics. Just go sleep in my office, Alex says the couch in there is very comfortable."

"Thanks, Max."

"Sure thing." She watched the blinking lights and watched as the stopped. The stayed stopped for a couple hours…loading the food.

She moved to the second computer there and paused for a moment. The folder on the desk top was named 'files' and she knew that she shouldn't open it… but she did.

The menu popped up and she pushed the 'x' button.

Next came the series, she typed '5'.

Then it came to a list she scrolled down the list until she found 331845739494. That was Alec, and even though she knew that it was a violation of his privacy she clicked on his file.

The computer flashed her a message 'files corrupted.'

She tried again…again the same message. She moved down one and clicked on Ben. This time she didn't get an error message. His summary was short however, explaining his training, the 09 escape, and then his murders.

She tried Alec again then gave up. Curiously thought she clicked on some random numbers.

There were no other corrupted files, none that she could find anyway, but with as many of them had been created she wasn't going through them all.

She wondered what else Alec hadn't told her. He could do a city hack into a satellite within 5 minutes as well has hack the code that literally took Logan a day to break.

She felt just a little hurt… Why didn't he trust her?

Maybe she would ask when he got back.

00-00-00-00

Alec tried to stay out of the deal as much as he could. He was trying to start to delegate more of these tasks, and Raven was more then up to the challenge, and as Max had told him once it wasn't about them working harder it was about everyone working smarter. And Raven was ready, a serious man with a sarcastic streak he took his job seriously and Alec admired him for that.

Everything really went off with out a hitch, and the drive back was slow, Alec watching with the handheld computer where all the sector police were. They avoided all of them and got back safe and sound. Then they had the fun of unloading all the food, and by the time it was all said and done, it was 4:00 in the morning. Knowing most likely that Max was awake and that she was near a radio.

"Bravo 1 to Alpha 1."

"Alpha 1 go ahead."

"Location?" He asked, he couldn't help but sound tired.

"Command."

"I'm on my way, Bravo 1 out." He started walking towards command and when he got there he made his way to Max and took the chair next to her.

"Hey." He stated letting his shoulders slump and he leaned against her slightly. Max stiffened for just a second and relaxed. He had done this before, once he had fallen asleep beside her during a movie and he ad basically collapsed against her. She patted his head in a purely sarcastic manner.

"Tired, poor baby." The voice matched her sarcastic actions of a moment before.

"Yeah a little, what did Logan say?" He asked. He kept his eyes closed and breathed deep smelling Max in, it seemed to calm him.

"He already knew."

"We'll find a way." Max knew that it was his way of apologizing about being so rude to her earlier.

"Yeah…why did you never tell me that you could hack so well?" Max was never really known for her tact. She almost hit herself when it just came out like that but it was already out there so she continued. "Why always let Logan do it?"

Alec took a deep breath and straightened up, then stood. He looked down at her and for once he just told it to her straight. "You're still in love with him, and you need a reason to have him here. Any one of us can do what you think he does for us, but in the end it's you that needs him here." He raised his hands over his head and stretched and looked over to her again. "Who am I to take that away from you?"

"I don't love him." Max stated as a whisper, if Alec wasn't a transgenic he wouldn't have heard it.

"What?"

"I don't think that I love him anymore. I think that we are different people now, and he still just sees me, not all of us. And I don't know how to get that through to him."

"Maybe it will be different, when the cure is done. Alyssa's done a lot of work with my blood, soon she will have something."

"Maybe, and it would be nice not to worry about killing him every time I see him. But really Alec, it's not there. Not anymore."

"Why are you telling me this? And who are you trying to convince?" Alec asked falling back down in the chair.

"Because you are my friend," Max looked at him and she was honest. He was her friend now, she could say that with no reservations, but when she looked at him she wondered if he saw a friend in her. "I trust you Alec. Why don't you trust me?" of all the emotions that she had gone through that day, anger taking up the highest percentage, she couldn't help but focus on the hurt.

"I trust you Max, every time we go on a mission I put my life in your hands. I have from the very beginning."

"But why not tell me that you can do these things? What else do you know from Manticore?" She knew that her tone was bordering on angry right now but that couldn't be helped. A betrayal of trust would lead to anger.

"You want to know what I can do, read my file." Well that answered one question; he didn't corrupt his own file.

"I want you to trust me enough to tell me." Max told him.

Alec was surprised to say the least about the direction of this conversation. Max was looking at him angry and hurt, her big brown eyes full of an emption other then sarcasm for the first time that Alec could really remember. For some reason it bothered Alec, he knew that his relationship with Max had changed, but right now the feelings that he was having just weren't appropriate for a CO and SIC.

Still he couldn't help himself, he raised a hand and pressed it against her cheek. He watched her doe eyes widen and he let the words slip. "I don't like who I was then, Max, I like who you have help me become. I don't want to be the soldier they made me; I just want to be you SIC." He stood, dropping his hand from her face. Shaking it off, he turned to her, "Wanna walk me home, Maxie?"

She looked up to him eyes still wide. She could still feel his hand on her cheek, his skin was so warm and she could still smell him. His earthy, Alec smell. She was about to shake her head when Luke came in.

"Hey Boss Lady, Boss Man…I'm here to relieve you of duty."

"Kinda early ain't it Luke." The transgenic smiled

"Dix gave me a call before he came to sleep, felt bad having the boss take over while he went to sleep." Max and Alec nodded in understanding; it would be a little awkward having your CO help you out like that.

"Yeah, I'll walk you home. Thanks Luke." She turned over the chair to Luke who stated typing away.

Once they got out of command they walked side by side.

"I have a confession to make." Max stated and looked over to Alec. His hazel green eyes met hers and she did what she always did. Just spit the words out, "I looked at your file. It was corrupted."

"Maxie… I should be hurt." And in actuality he was just a little bit.

"I'm glad it was" She looked over to him and tried to reassure him that it was true, "You've earned my trust Alec, and there isn't another person that I want to be by my side. And I don't think that a file that outlines your life in Manticore will tell me that. You were right about that. But I want to know I have yours."

"You do, Max." He tried to get it though her head. Alec looked at her and really couldn't understand why she equated having his trust with knowing his past. He really didn't want to delve into. He was truthful when he said that he liked the person that he had become, the person that Max had helped him to become. He couldn't understand why she wanted to know these things. There were some things he didn't what to share… Hell… there were some things he couldn't even remember. "Do you not like me the way I am? Would you prefer that I be like some of the people here in TC and still be a goddamn number?

"No But…"

"What it so important about it Max? You want to know about the weapons training, the close combat training, the martial arts, the number of people that I have killed or do you want to know about the months is PyOps?" Alec didn't even realize that he was almost yelling, in the street no doubt. "I don't know or care about your history, what is so damn important about mine?" he walked much faster down the street and Max caught up with him at the door of the building.

Even Max who was not the most subtle creature ever created knew that she had hit a nerve. She grabbed his wrist and turned him around sharply. "Okay, I'll let it go." The part that hit her the hardest was the last part…_13 months in PyOps? _

She just stood there on the top stair at the door to their building holding his hand.

"My past has nothing to do with now."

"I know, I just…"

"Shut up Max." Max however went on like he had said nothing.

"Sometimes I don't always think things through and sometimes I over complicate things and sometimes…

"Maxie, shut up…"

"I just don't think things through enough and that is when it's kinda nice to have you here…"

"Max." Alec watched as the person he knew as Max just disappeared into what seemed like a normal 24 year old trying to make an apology and not really quite sure about how to do it. Now Alec had two ways of shutting a girl up. Usually telling them to shut up was enough. Most people, who were not Max, listened to him, most even respected him. Alec shook his head and prepared for the blow.

But, hell, if he was honest he had been wanting to do this for about six, more like seven months now. Stepping up into her personal space stopped her from talking and then when he moved in and kissed her. And he braced for the blow…

Max couldn't shut up. She never had this problem ever… and now Alec was turning her into this person that she didn't recognize. She didn't like it but when you noticed that your own thought process wasn't right you didn't want to say, 'hey sorry that was a stupid thought' because yeah it wasn't at the time. But since both she and Alec had been shot, really just days ago, things had changed between them. She realized really how much faith and trust she had in Alec. And she was still hurt that he hadn't told her everything, but he was right. He never pushed her about her past, how she evaded Manticore for so long, and he has never asked about Zack and their relationship because, he just knew that that was a bad idea.

And then he was all up in her space and she felt small and feminine and, that threw her a loop because…hello…she never felt that way ever, not even around Logan. And when she looked up Alec's eyes were almost green and she noticed for the first time that he had freckles and they raced across his nose. And he was so close and he smelled good, and looked better…yeah black was his color. Then his lips were on hers, and they were soft and slightly chapped and she breathed deep and then she realized Alec was kissing her. It was a shock and really made her whole body tense almost like for an attack, and the thought crossed her mind to push him away, but there was a little butterfly in her tummy and then there were two, and instead of pushing him away she reached up framing his face in her hands and took control of the kiss. Because if brushing his lips across hers gave her this reaction she couldn't help but want to really _really _kiss him.

Her hands were soft on his skin and it took him by surprise that her hands were even touching him and then she was kissing him back. Taking control of the kiss because that was Max and Max liked to have control. She was a little hesitant at first, and then her hands were a little more forceful, tilting his head to the right and then her fingers tightened. Then he felt her teeth grab onto his lower lip. He let out a little moan and she responded back with a little whimper of her own that he knew that she would deny if he ever brought up this kiss, like…_ever. _He slammed her body against his and what started as a way to shut her up turned into the hottest kiss of his life. Her teeth bit harder into his lip before he let his mouth open to her and she finally tasted him tracing her tongue in his mouth to taste and when she pulled back he followed and mapped out the inside of her mouth memorizing it because…yeah he would most likely be dead after this moment ended.

She slipped her hands into his short dark blond hair and hung on for a moment before it sunk in…_Alec _was kissing her. A moan she didn't even recognize as coming from her self shocked her into thought.

Alec

SIC Alec.

Friend Alec.

The guy who held the cure…Alec.

She used the grip on his hair to pull him away then, moved the hands down to his chest and pushed him into the door. It flew open behind him and he caught himself on the door way.

"What the hell?" His voice was louder then normal but not quite a yell.

"You kissed me." She told him, and the tone that she used let him know exactly how disgusting she thought that concept was.

"Yeah…sorry bout that. It won't happen again." She looked up and for a minute she didn't recognize the person she was looking at. It was the Alec that she met in Manticore. The Alec who told her that they had to 'copulate' until she got pregnant. The Alec who told her that he was always alright, even thought the girl that had taught him what love was had just died. Then he blinked and it was gone. His face was back to the Alec that she knew, her SIC. "I think we should call it a night Max, what'd say?" He didn't wait for a response but he just turned and walked away. From the stairs she heard a soft 'goodnight' but she didn't think that would be the case. She most likely wouldn't get any sleep tonight. And for some reason Max thought that she might have just messed things up.

But in the end it was probably for the best.

She and Alec could never be like that.

00-00-00-00

Author blushes as she realizes that it has been a month and a half since she actually updated.

Thanks for reading.

Cat.


	4. Chapter 4

By Catrina

It Started with a Mission

Chapter 4

By Catrina

A/N: Yes, Yes I know. It has been way to long since you have seen an update from me…I bet most of you had given up on me but… Ha! I had you fooled…here I am with a new chapter.

This is the first time that I have ever experienced writers block and I do sincerely apologize for taking as long as I did to post this chapter…as always I have no beta-reader so all mistakes are my own.

Enjoy!

00-00-00-00

So Max found Alec was a lot better at acting like nothing happened then she was. Because every time they even came close to touching she would blush, then she would get mad because dammit! She didn't blush and not because of Alec. She was stupid, and it didn't help that she thought of him before she went to bed and was pretty sure that she was dreaming of him when she woke up because he was her first thought every damn morning and that just wasn't fair when he could act like _absolutely _nothing was wrong.

Maybe this was what Karma was?

She had been so mean to him in the beginning and now this, maybe this is turn about fair play…but she didn't like it.

"Hey Max, we scored!" Alec said walking into her office like a proud king; arms spread wide and smile on his face.

_Scored? _ Wow her mind went a scary place with that comment, instead… "Scored?"

Alec placed the backpack on her desk and pulled out a packet and then handed it to her. "You owe Dalton a huge 'thank you', and then Logan needs to kiss our feet." His hazel eyes were bright with laughter and his body language was completely relaxed…_damn him. _

"You got the software?" She asked looking at the packet then tearing it open… it looked just like a little disk to her.

"Poor Dalton had to dress up in the UPS uniform and everything…don't get me wrong a lot of people look good in that uniform, but brown is not his color." He flipped open his phone to show a picture of the poor boy, who did look awful in brown, but he seemed happy enough to be flipping Alec the bird.

"This is great…Thanks Alec." She let a small smile slip but she was still tense behind her desk. She knew that Alec knew too…_damn bastard._

"I need to go and see Alyssa, she says she wants my blood, I think she just wants me." He turned and walked away, "Catch ya later Max…call me if you need me."

Then he was gone…

The man was insufferable.

And it pissed her off, but she was like that around Alec a lot. But she had never, ever shared a kiss like that with someone, and then just pretended like it didn't happen. She was used to it being awkward, or in Logan's case, deadly. And now he just walked around like he was fine with the world… that all was good and normal and well just…_damn him._

"Max?" She looked up from her thoughts to see Jack there, she motioned the other woman in and the girl walked in and dropped into the chair. This was odd in its own; she never really got a lot of visitors.

"Well the food that Alec got will last us about one month. I was thinking that maybe we need to set up a regular day that we go and get food, so that we don't run into the problem again. Either that or rotate within in the week depending on the sector police. I spoke with Alec about it and he was up for the idea. He said that Raven had handled the pick-up yesterday, and that maybe it was something that he and I could be in charge of as a unit, and then report back to one of you on a weekly basis. What do you think?" It sounded like an idea, people never shared ideas with her, they always shared them with Alec and then he would pass them along. People only came to see her when there was trouble, like yesterday when Jack had said she was running out of food.

Max looked at the other girl and thought her plan through. "Who do you want to use for the actual pick ups?"

"I wasn't sure, I know that we did it with three last time, and Raven said that Alec didn't do a lot, but I think that he would have to go along for the first few times, simply because he is the face that everyone knows."

"True, and I doubt that Alec would have a problem with that, but are you thinking a team to go with you every month?"

"Well, I would like to add two more, just to make it go quicker; I don't like to have them out on the outside for that long."

"I agree, but I think that it should be the same people all the time, who did you have in mind?"

"Jer and Andy." Jack stated. Jer was an older X6, and Andy was a younger X5. They got along like brothers, but Max wasn't sure how well they would do in a team.

"Do you think that they would be able to work side by side, with Raven as a leader?" Max looked at Jack with all her attention. Since she and Alec had fought yesterday, she did realize that she wasn't always hearing what was being said. So she was trying to practice and in doing so, she decided to try to stop multitasking.

"I think that it is worth a shot."

"Okay, I trust your judgment, but since Alec will be along in for the first couple times, he has final say as to whether or not that team stays permanent. Okay?"

"Okay." Max noticed that the other girl relaxed when that was all said and done. Had she been nervous?

"Why did you come to see me, Jack?" Max asked her curiosity got the best out of her, but hell- it was in her DNA.

"Well, I threw the idea by Alec and he said that he had no problem but it was up to me to sell it to you."

Max lifted a brow in question and smirked a little, "Oh did he now?"

"Yup! Thanks Max, if it weren't for you and Alec, we'd be lost. Don't work too hard now." The other girl stood and walked out of the office and in that minute Max realized what he had done.

He had just made her office into the open door to ideas…

Damn him…why did he have to be smart too?

00-00-00-00

"So how's the cure?" Alec asked watching as his blood flowed out of the tube into the small file. It was the fourth one that she had taken already.

"Good, but I'm finding so much more in your blood Alec, it's amazing. So many of the problems, the aging, and the seizures, you never had them did you?"

"No."

"I didn't think so."

"I don't understand what you are mean. Max is the one with the perfect DNA."

"We she may have the perfect DNA, but you have the perfect immune system. There are X5s all around with specialties. I even heard of an X5 that had perfect blood before. My guess is that you and 493 were similar, and since I don't have your records and his records only have a few years it's hard to get real data. I have tested everything I have on file against your blood, everything from the warfare…"

"Which we all are safe against…" Alec interrupted.

"To the common cold, polio, flu, strep, nothing seems to even bother you. It's strange. Max may have perfect DNA, but she could, in theory, still get sick. You I don't think ever will."

"So anyway…the virus."

"Yes, I see promise, if that is what you're asking. But I know better then that…what's going on Alec? You are starting to act like you won't be here soon. I know how much you hate to delegate and you are letting other people work with you now." She was referring to him talking Dalton and Raven with him last night.

"I realized the other night…"

"The night you got shot?" Alyssa asked; Alec nodded.

"That any night, hell, any day someone could get lucky and Max or I could be dead. It's not right that I'm the only one with connections. Even if something happens to me, I don't want to leave my kind hanging."

"Alec, you could never do that. Not on purpose. You love TC."

"Yeah, I do."

"And you and Max run it well."

"I know." He said with a cocky little smirk, he didn't even try to defend against the smack to his head, sometimes he deserved it

"I'm done with you, get out." The words were mean but the smile on her face was kind.

"I'm out." He pulled on his sweat shirt as he left the building and pulled the hood up against the chilly wind. Rain was moving in because, yeah, his days always sucked. His thoughts drifted back to Max from this morning. He knew that he was being immature but seeing Max so nervous and edgy made him feel better. It showed him that that kiss, had meant something to her. To him it was most likely the best kiss of his life, but with the way that she had reacted he figured that she didn't feel the same. So he did what he always did, he put up his mask and moved on. But the way that she blushed, the way that she pulled away, even the way that she couldn't make eye contact said something about the way she _really _felt about that kiss.

His guess was that she liked it.

The problem he saw, was that she still saw him as _just _Alec, her friend, her SIC, another X5. She didn't see him as a man, an attractive man that was very attracted to her. Part of that may have been his fault because until now he had been trying to hide the fact that he lusted after the leader of TC.

So now what he really needed was a plan of action.

00-00-00-00

Why was it that every time she saw Logan she never really knew what to say? It was the same old Logan. He was tall, with brown hair, blue eyes red and hidden by his frames today, but still he was _Logan. _

"Hey you." She leaned in the doorway looking at him. He was attractive, very good looking for man older then her, but being around all the other transgenics had made her see that they really had been made beautiful. Just take Alec for example, his lean muscular body, his dark blond hair, his amazing hazel-green eyes, he even had freckles. And his lips, those amazing bow shaped lips, they had been very soft.

She shook her head and blushed when she realized that she had been fantasizing about Alec in Logan's apartment.

_Damn him!_

"You okay?" Logan asked his blue eyes studying her carefully.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just been a strange couple of days."

"Oh…" He drew out the word like he really didn't believe her, but was willing to pretend…like he always did.

"So, Alyssa, you remember her don't you?" She waited for a nod before she continued. "So she has been working on a cure, for the virus. I was told today that she was close."

"Really?" Logan looked up completely surprised.

"Yeah." She couldn't actually seem to make eye contact with him, Logan seemed to notice this.

"That's amazing; I didn't know that you guys could do that."

"Do what?" Max asked, she could already feel her ire start to rise, she tried to reign her temper in, but she could feel it bubbling under the surface.

"Well, be able to come up with a cure."

"We aren't just fighting machines, yeah, we know how to kick ass, and do you think that we don't actually know how to use the brains they gave us?"

"No, Max, I never said that. It's just that I spent all this time trying to find a specialist and none of them can help us but then you guys can?" His face seemed to show his doubt that they would ever find a cure at all, but she knew that he still held on to lingering dreams of them being able to be together in the future. She didn't have the heart to tell him that she didn't see the same future…not anymore.

"Yes, we can. Look I came here to give you that, now I need to leave, so I'm gonna bounce."

"All right, call me later." It came out a sentence but she could hear the question that it really was.

"Yeah, later." She turned and left knowing that she wouldn't be calling him for a while. Just like she knew that the next time they spoke it would have something to do with an Eyes Only mission. Because no matter how much he loved her, he loved being a hero more.

00-00-00-00

Alec smiled as he watched the combat training. The X-6s were really amazing. They caught on really fast but they did seem to get stuck in a rut. Often when they did matches or drills they paired up with people that they knew. And it gets to the point where it is predictable.

Just like when be spars Max, they have gotten to know each other too well over the time that they had spent running TC, so when they fought it was more to relieve tension. And he got that feeling when she walked in the door.

Max angry was a scary and beautiful sight at the same time. Her doe eyes held more of a gleam to them and there was a rosy hue to her cheeks. She also seemed to walk with more of a sway in her hips, it was one of the ways he first learned how to tell when she was angry.

He could tell by the way she walked to him. So he knew exactly what she was here for. She had been to see Logan and now she was pissed about something or the other.

He knew just as well as she did that Logan pissed her off more then anything these days. While he wasn't sure what the man said, or what the man did to make her mad, Alec knew that Logan did it every time he talked to Max. Now Alec knew that Logan didn't do it on purpose just like he knew that Logan had no clue that the two of them had grown so far apart already, but Alec also knew that Max for some reason what not ready to let go of the man.

His guess was that Logan was a security blanket, and she just had to drag it along with her for a little while longer.

Plus Logan had one thing going for him that Alec never would. He was a normal human.

He couldn't see in the dark, he couldn't smell the perfume a woman was wearing 20 feet away, he couldn't memorize blueprints in the blink of an eye, or learn to play the piano in day. He was just plain and ordinary. The one thing that Max wished she was 95 percent of the time.

So in the end Alec knew that he was screwed. Especially with the cure right around the corner. The most ironic thing however was that he was the key to the cure and he was just handing it right over to them. Sometimes he questioned his own sanity.

"Max, what's up?" He asked glancing her way. Fox looked a little off today, "Fox tighter on the top, you're going to let a fist into your…never mind." Fox was flat on the ground.

"You know yelling like that…"

"If they can't deal with me yelling, how will they be able to fight through gunfire?" Point to Alec…that was if he was actually keeping score… but he wasn't that kind of character.

"Do you need a hand?"

"You just need to beat someone up." Alec said a small smile. "What happened?"

"Nothing."

"Let me guess, he wants us to do something for an 'Eyes Only' mission, and he does not seem to realize that we are fighting for our livelihood here, all he really thinks about is the next person he can become a hero to. And the fact that he thinks we are…are fighting machines."

Her silence was his answer. She didn't really want to tell him that he was close enough.

"Max, he doesn't get it."

"I know."

"It's not going to change."

"I know."

"Why are you here?"

"I'm looking in on the training."

"Liar."

"Max, you can't keep coming to me." Alec looked at her his green eyes serious.

"Why not? Isn't that what friends are for?"

"I'm not going to be around forever." Alec mentioned and she turned her eyes on him in a glare.

"Where the hell else are you gonna go?" She propped her hands on her hips and glared at him and he knew at that time that he had most likely said something wrong.

"What if something happens to me on the next mission, huh?"

"Nothing's going to happen to you, not when I'm around." She crossed her arms across her chest and glared at him. Alec tried to think his way through this conversation. He really didn't know how to plan this conversation.

"Max, I throw myself into danger, just like you do, every day. Someday, someone out here will get lucky."

"Not on my watch." She muttered

"I'm not always on your watch."

"I'll make it so you are."

"Max what is this about?" Alec motioned Biggs over and then took Max by the arm. They were starting to distract the students. That was not a good thing. The young ones really did need to be able to concentrate on these things.

"I don't know what you mean."

"I mean that the closer and closer that Alyssa gets to the cure the more nervous you are about everything. If you don't want to be with Logan than it is time to tell him that. You know more then anyone that sooner or later you will have to let go of this idea that you can have a normal life. You are just like me, we are unintentional leaders of our kind and no one else can understand you but me, but I'm not a security blanket either." Alec looked around noticing that they were in a nice quiet corner, but still he didn't think that was quite enough. He grabbed Max's hand and walked with her out the door. He walked her down to the 'park' that could be found in TC. He sat down on a bench and then patted the seat beside him. With a huff Max sat down and once again crossed her arms.

"Even though we dance around it, I kissed you. There is no other way for me to really tell you what…" Max's hand cut him off.

"Can't we just pretend that that never…"

"Isn't that what we are doing now?" Alec asked. "Not working so great. Plus I would like to do it again sometime."

"Well I don't care; let's continue to ignore it until tomorrow. What else is on the agenda today?"

"Tonight we are taking the X-6s out."

"Beyond the fence line? They are getting antsy…" She agreed.

"Yeah, this should calm them down, and get them to realize the danger and that it's really not so great out there."

"They are going in twos?" They always went out with a more 'experienced' transgenic.

"Yeah. You wanna take one?" Alec asked her.

"Sure, you have one that needs a friend." It was always kind of fun to take out a younger transgenic. It did a couple things; it showed them that there was danger, but also how to lay low and how to act normal.

"Yeah, you can go with George."

"George?"

"You know her, I think you named her…" Alec had to think back, he couldn't remember all the people that she had named, he just remembered warning as many as he could to chose their own names unless they wanted them to suck. "So we still avoiding the issue?"

"Yeah…avoiding… how's the cure?"

"Done… Alyssa didn't contact you?"

"I just got back from seeing Logan." She reminded him, but it also reminded her why she was upset. "You know if all the people think like he does I understand why they don't like us."

"What do you mean?" Alec asked, glancing at his watch, they had 20 minutes. Right now they should be showering and would be meeting back in the dojo so that they could leave.

"He was surprised that we could come up with the cure ourselves. I think that they just see us as fighting machines and as monsters."

"As long as we don't fight they can't think that. Sooner or later they will see that was are human just like them…or close enough." Alec told her, slinging and arm over her shoulder. She sank into the comfort that he offered for just a minute or two before straightening up.

"Let's go."

They had started these outings after four of the X6 had left TC and ended up getting caught by White. One of them had been smart enough to hang back and not get caught and then ran back to TC to get Max and Alec. They had been able to get in that same night to get them, White and the familiars had not know about the forth member of the group and did not realize that they would find out so soon, so the kids weren't too heavily guarded. They were however punished with garbage detail for over a month. But after that had decided on having these outings so that the older X5's could take them out and teach them what to look for. Many of the younger ones that had escaped hadn't really known what was going on when they escaped, they had never been on missions, so they really didn't have a lot of common sense when it came to spotting danger. Only so many things can be taught in a book and common sense was not one of them…Manticore didn't specialize in it anyway.

When everyone met at the dojo they left in only 12 pairs of two. It worked best to only keep a couple in a sector. Today Alec was with Pom. Pom was a tall and gangly X6 that hadn't filled in his muscle yet, but it was obvious that he had the genes. He was taller then Alec, had blue eyes and black hair. He had similar facial features and more then once Alec had wondered if they had some of the same DNA.

The kids loved to go out with him and since Pom was 17, Alec decided that a strip joint was most likely the last place that they would run into a Familiar. He was wrong.

Sometimes Alec wondered about his luck.

Was it bad? Or did he just not have any at all?

"Pom, sneak out the back and go find Max."

"What?" The boy looked away from the girl on stage. When she turned her head he knew why White was here, that stripper was a transgenic.

"See that girl up there?" At his nod Alec proceeded, "What's special about her?" Alec watched as Pom focused on her, and watched looking for something about her.

"She's hot?" He wasn't seeing it. Pom shook his head and looked at her.

"Look harder." Alec ordered keeping his head low. Alec saw Pom's eyes widen as he saw what Alec saw.

"She's one of us." He said it on a gasp.

"Now look behind me, and find the familiar." Pom glanced back, he was smart enough to make it look like he wasn't looking for anything, and he looked to another girl and then looked back again.

"The guy in blue."

"Good, now move, sneak out the back and go find Max. Tell her White is here."

"Who is she with?" Alec was proud of Pom, he was acting very calm in the face of danger, and Alec could tell even then that his pulse was sure and strong instead of being frantic.

"George, now go." Alec watched as Pom blended with the crowd then disappeared from his sight. He sat watching the show, until he sensed that White was about to make his move. He moved up to the stage, acting like he was going to talk to the girl. Then he got up and looked back, he caught White's eye then headed for the exit. He just hoped that he had given Pom enough time to find Max.

He walked out the door, and then blurred down the block to what he suspected was an empty warehouse. White was right behind him.

"Well, well X5-494. I didn't think that I would see you again." White had looked surprised too when their eyes had finally met. "And I bet if you are around, then that _pesky _X5-452 is around too."

"Well you know that rumor about bad pennies." Alec said with a shrug of his shoulders. He had a gun on him but there was already one trained on him so…

Think…

Think…

"Well this time I'm not taking a chance." White said, and then with out preamble pulled the trigger.

Alec was already in motion, running to the side and up the stairs, he blurred through the stairs making it to the roof. Here, this was better.

White was faster then he remembered however, and it was a second before he felt a bullet ripping through his shoulder, he had been fast but not fast enough.

Damn…again? And why was it always the shoulder…at least it was the other one this time…

He barely saw the butt of the gun before it hit his temple.

Then darkness was all he saw.

00-00-00-00

George and Max walked back towards TC, they had went to a movie, sneaked in of course, went out to eat, and then hung out in the park. The walk back to TC was slow and boring, but Max had had a good time and George assured her that she had had a great time as well.

George jumped and Max turned toward her. "What was that?"

"I just got a text." She pulled out her phone, "I wasn't expecting that." She flipped it open. "It says White is after Alec." She looked to Max, who looked confused and startled. TC was already visible to them.

"Where are they?"

"I don't know." George answered.

"Ask him!" She ordered and the other girl, dialed quickly, "Pom?" Max grabbed the phone.

"Where is he Pom?"

"We went to a club. Sector 8, and he just showed up. One of the strippers was one of us." His voice was choppy like he was running and then she could see the boy in the distance.

"He took you to a strip club!?" Max took a moment to be enraged and then moved back to worried.

"He told me to go and get you." The boy stopped in front of them and disconnected the call.

"You two back to TC. I'm going to go get Alec. Have Mole send a jeep to sector 8." She ordered and watched the two X6s blur off to the distance and she was on her way. She ran faster then she could ever remember, to the point where she was sure that she couldn't be seen by human eyes. When she hit sector 8 she heard the gun shot. She followed her ears to a warehouse and saw that the door had been broken down.

Bingo!

She made her way into the building and she heard the second shot.

Damn.

She turned ran for the stairs scanning each floor as she went. Then she hit the roof. Alec was down on the ground, face first, pale and there was blood.

"Shot like the animal he is." White told her turning around and aiming the gun at her. "Just like you will be."

"I'm not that easy to kill." She told him, her eyes were burning into him and she could feel hatred humming though her veins.

But she could hear his heart; Alec wasn't dead, not yet. She still had time.

"Funny, he was." White turned his gun back to Alec, but Max ran forward grabbing his gun arm and bringing her knee up. On a normal person that would break their arm. White just dropped his gun. Max ducked as a fist came around and almost hit her face. She brought her knee up but it just hit his thigh not his crotch like she would have hoped. She turned the spin adding momentum as she brought her leg down on his back.

White stumbled away from Alec, but stood up. When he looked at her he straightened his tie and glared.

"I don't really understand why you fight so hard. Even you guys know that you're animals." He didn't give her a chance to respond just rushed forward grabbing her around the waist and aiming for the side of the building. She fisted her hands together and brought her elbows down right between his shoulder blades. He let go as he hit the ground.

He sprung back up, and he punched out with his fist and they dodged, and parried, exchanging blows and blocking as they could. White aimed a kick for her head and she ducked, then she was caught off guard with a sweep kick. She fell to the ground the air knocked out of her.

White had picked up a pieced of wood. She looked across the roof to see pieces scattered around. He held it; like he was testing the weight then was rushing toward her, like he was planning to stake her like a vampire.

As he approached she kicked her legs up and hit him in the midsection, she pushed him up and over her. She jumped back up to brace herself for the next attack when she realized that it wasn't coming.

White was gone.

Walking to the edge of the building, she looked over the edge. She had kicked him right over the edge. He was laying face down, with the wooden weapon that he had planned to use on her through his stomach. Even from here she could smell the blood. Tires squealed and for a second she feared that the cops were here already.

It was just Mole, and the Jeep that she needed. She motioned for him to come up.

She looked over to Alec, and then walked over to him. He had a large bruise on his temple, but the bullet wound had gone in and come out, and it was mostly a scratch.

She brushed the hair back away from his face and smiled just a little, he must have moved to avoid being shot fatally. He was pale and there was his blood on her hands but there was something that she had just realized

She couldn't avoid it anymore.

00-00-00-00

I think that the next chapter will be the end of the story. I would like to thank everyone for their patience for this story. Please as always, let me know what you think.

Thanks for reading,

Cat


End file.
